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Veteran Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth, right, checks in on quarterback Jared Goff after Goff appeared to injure his non-throwing hand in the second half of Sunday’s Super (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

ATLANTA – He’s been their protector, their friend and their leader. The Rams might now have to face life without veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who isn’t sure whether he will play another game.

“I don’t know,” Whitworth said after the Rams’ Super Bowl loss to New England on Sunday. “Some guys in the locker room were begging me not to say anything like that, so I have no idea.”

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Clearly, it’s on Whitworth’s mind, but that’s not unusual. In the days leading up to the game, Whitworth said he sits down with his wife at the end of every season and weighs his options. Is he healthy? Is he motivated? Does he have the proper balance in his life between football and family?

There’s no obvious reason for Whitworth to quit now. He turned 37 in December but he’s playing at a higher level than almost any other left tackle in the NFL and he hasn’t missed a game to injury since 2013.

Whitworth is set to enter the final season of the three-year contract he signed with the Rams in 2017 and, including bonuses, he will cost the Rams almost $16 million. That’s the only prohibitive part about this situation, but it would be very difficult for the Rams to place Whitworth’s skill and leadership.

Whitworth, drafted in 2006, had never won a playoff game before this season and, based on his postgame comments, he didn’t seem to be leaning toward retirement.

“I still love playing,” Whitworth said. “I still love the game. I still feel great. I still play at a high level and who knows, we’ll see. I’ll let the offseason play out and kind of see what’s best for the franchise, what’s best for me, and see what happens.”

On the other hand, Whitworth and his wife, Melissa, have four young children, and while Whitworth regularly has incorporated them into team activities, he also spoke of the sacrifices necessarily to continue a career.

Whitworth said he was disappointed to lose in what could turn out to be his only chance at a championship, but said he wouldn’t allow it to define him as a player or person.

“I don’t (care) if you have a Hall of Fame bust, if you’ve been a Pro Bowler or you win 20 Super Bowls,” Whitworth said. “At the end of the day, you’re all going to die and you’re all going to have the opportunity to be able to play football or not be able to play football. Who you are, how you carry yourself, and whether you pout and feel sorry for yourself are the only things that are going to matter.”

EMPTY RECORD

The Rams’ MVP might have been punter Johnny Hekker, who set a Super Bowl record with a 65-yard punt in the third quarter. Hekker dropped five of his nine punts inside the Patriots’ 20 and averaged 46.3 yards per punt.

The record also was special because it bested, by one yard, the mark set by New England punter Ryan Allen. Hekker and Allen were former college teammates at Oregon State, and both were walk-on players. Allen had five punts Sunday, and three of them made the Rams start inside their 20.

“Ryan did a great job pinning us deep all day and I couldn’t be more proud of him,” Hekker said. “It hurts, but I’m proud of my punt team and the way those guys have prepared all season to protect me back there to help me feel comfortable.”

SO CLOSE, AGAIN

Rams receiver Brandin Cooks finished with eight catches for 120 yards, but lost a Super Bowl again. Last year, Cooks played for New England when the Patriots lost to Philadelphia, but Cooks left that game with a concussion after his only catch.

“It’s disappointing,” Cooks said. “All that hard work that you put in and you get here, and you don’t capitalize and then it’s like all over again, you’ve got to put all that hard work in again and hopefully continue to build and be able to get back here.”

The Rams used part of their ticket allocation on special guests, including Karen and Jordan Helus, the wife and son of Ron Helus, the sheriff’s sergeant killed in the Thousand Oaks mass shooting.

The Rams also provided tickets for Alfonso Garcia, who works at their practice facility, and his son. They provided tickets for Gary Young, who works construction at the new stadium site in Inglewood, for Danny Enriquez, a fan who had a “Super Bowl bound” Rams jersey made last season, and for Jordan Cohen, a vendor who works with the team.

COMEBACK TRAIL

Rams receiver Cooper Kupp, who tore an ACL less than two months ago, apparently is making great strides in his recovery. This week, Kupp posted a video to a social-media account that showed him doing high-knee marching steps while a trainer stood behind him and provided resistance with an elastic band.

Kupp was on track for a 1,000-yard season and double digits in touchdowns before he hurt his knee. The Rams will start their offseason program in April and will open training camp in late July.

Rich Hammond was a high school senior when the Rams left town in 1995, and now he's their beat writer for the Southern California News Group. A native of L.A., Rich broke in at the Daily Breeze as a college freshman and also has covered USC, the Kings, the Lakers and the Dodgers. He still loves sports and telling stories. Don't take the sarcastic tweets too seriously.

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